Morris and China in the Late Qing and Early Republican Era

Author: Dou Kun
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-01-01
Features: Morley, who served as a Beijing correspondent for the British Times and a political advisor to the Beijing government of the Republic of China in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, played multiple roles during a period of significant political upheaval and institutional transition. He was both an observer and deeply involved in China's high-level politics; an outsider yet actively engaged in internal affairs, and interacted extensively with prominent figures in China's political and cultural circles. A thorough study of his activities and their relationship with China's domestic and international political events is of considerable academic value. The book Morley and Late Qing-Early Republican China (Fujian Education Press, 2005) by Dou Kun from our institution is indeed a meaningful contribution. As the author's doctoral dissertation, it adheres strictly to academic norms.
The Introduction is a foundational chapter, encompassing three sections: research significance, literature review, and research methodology. The author respects previous scholarship, dedicating substantial space to reviewing the topic, which not only establishes the starting point of her research but also lays the groundwork for original insights. Subsequently, she discusses the research significance from perspectives such as political history, social history, Sino-foreign relations, and historical sources, focusing on Morley's activities and historical significance in late Qing-Early Republican China to answer how he perceived and influenced China over two decades. This Introduction serves as the key to understanding the book and underscores the author's commitment to academic rigor.
A broader look at the book reveals several notable features. First, the author demonstrates a deep understanding of the discipline and related fields, both domestically and internationally, offering critiques and judgments on existing scholarship. Particularly noteworthy is her clear of academic genealogies and systematic grasp of relevant materials. During the writing process, the author co-translated and published Morley in Beijing, promoted the introduction of microfilmed documents of Morley from the National Library, and systematically consulted English-language Times newspapers and various collections, essays, correspondence, and archives related to the topic. While Western and Chinese scholars have previously studied Morley, this book stands out as the most comprehensive work to date on his life and legacy.
Second, the book offers an objective and fair evaluation of its subject, with conclusions grounded in reliable evidence, making them highly persuasive. The author argues, "Understanding China, implementing one's understanding, and attempting to influence China were the three stages of Morley's activities in China." For a British national who lived in China for an extended period, balancing his ties to his homeland and China was a recurring challenge for such "amphibious" figures, stirring great interest among later researchers. On this point, the book concludes: "As a British man with sympathy for China, Morley loved his homeland and the country where he lived for two decades. He hoped his efforts would benefit both China and Britain. However, when conflicts arose, hely leaned toward his mother country. Morley's primary principle was to safeguard British interests in China." This conclusion is well-founded in extensive historical analysis.
Third, the book emphasizes the excavation and utilization of primary sources, conducting rigorous research and analysis to propose original and innovative perspectives. This approach has revealed previously unknown historical truths and clarified misconceptions in past studies. For instance, the book sheds light on Morley's role during the Xinhai Revolution, the true nature of Japan's "Twenty-One Demands" revealed to the world, Morley's stance on Yuan Shikai's imperial ambitions, and his influence at the Paris Peace Conference, among other discoveries that predate earlier scholarship. Gustav von Koester, whose The Republic and the Monarchy earned him a century of condemnation, was defended by Tang Degang in The Yuan Dynasty for his unjust treatment. Yuan Shikai's other foreign advisor, Morley, has long been overlooked by historians. Morley spent over two decades in China, becoming a globally influential journalist, and Beijing's Wangfujing Street was once renamed "Morley Street." He was also known as "Morley of Beijing" (or "Morley of China"). Dou Kun, a female scholar in Beijing, co-translated Morley's English biography before independently completing Morley and Late Qing-Early Republican China, arguably the most comprehensive study of Morley and China's social transformation at the turn of the 20th century.
Morley's career as a journalist in China began in 1897, and his 16 years in Beijing coincided with China's most turbulent period—both chaotic and hopeful amid decay. He witnessed the executions of the "Six Gentlemen" and personally participated in the rescue of Zhang Yinhuan; he was injured in the Battle of Dongjiaomin Lane; in 1902, his interview with Yuan Shikai captivated him, and he held high hopes for reform, believing it could lead a frail China into a new era. Over the years, he provided numerous exclusive reports to the world—first by staunchly supporting Yuan Shikai, then by being deliberately used by Yuan to leverage his reputation as a prominent journalist to gain international backing. Unknowingly, he became a key pawn for Yuan, flooding the Times with pro-Yuan articles, interviews, and analyses, subtly influencing the policies of Western powers. Morley's significance lies not only in his vast archives of diaries, letters, memoranda, and photographs but also in his close ties to Yuan Shikai and his tangible impact on late Qing-Early Republican China. More importantly, his reports on China's political and social changes became a crucial window for the international community to understand this ancient and enigmatic Eastern nation.
As a former Beijing correspondent for the British Times and political advisor to the Republic of China government, Morley worked and lived in China for over two decades (1897–1918), deeply connected to late Qing-Early Republican China. This book extensively uses unpublished archival documents of Morley and original English-language Times articles to conduct a relatively objective study and analysis of his relationship with late Qing-Early Republican China. Based on primary sources, it examines specific historical facts of Morley's activities in China, such as his living and social conditions in Beijing, his journey to Hubei during the northern-southern negotiations of the Xinhai Revolution, his support for Yuan Shikai, the hidden truths behind Japan's "Twenty-One Demands" in 1915, and Morley's attitude toward Yuan Shikai's self-proclaimed empire.